Sheet-metal building structure.



No. 808,664. PATENTED JAN. 2,1906.

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SHEET METAL BUIL STRUCTURE.

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mm: l v a i Ill 1 TH OMAS LEE, OF HOME CITY, OHIO.

SHEET-METAL BUILDING STRUCTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.-

Application filed October 30,1905. Serial No. 284,958.

To all who/7t it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS Lee, a citizen of the United States, residing at Home City,

Hamilton county, State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Sheet-Metal Building Structure; and I do declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description thereof, attention being called to the accompanying drawings, with the reference characters marked thereon, which form also a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a certain new and useful building structure made of sheet metal, the construction being in a shape in which it may be used as a rail, post, girder, stile, or muntin to receive panels of any materiab-as, for instance, such as are used in doors, windows, or partitions.

This present invention is an improvement on a similar device shown in Patent No. 799,391 issued to me on September 12, 1905, the object of the construction described in said patent being to obtain the greatest rigidity within the limits of a certain size and weight of material, which latter, as stated, is sheet metal, and to provide on opposite sides grooves of suflicient depth to receive the edges of the panels above mentioned.

The object of this present invention is to still further increase the rigidity and strength of such a structure and to eliminate weakness at certain points of the same, particularly at such points where it is required to perforate said structure to permit attachment to or connection of other structural parts.

In the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims at the end thereof is found a full description of my invention, together with its parts and construction, which latter is also illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the structure. Fig. 2 in a similar view shows the other side of the same with parts broken out. Fig. 3 is a top View of Fig. 1 or an end view of the structure. Fig. 4 in a similar view shows the same disintegrated into its various elements.

The structure consists substantially of a center portion or web A, from between the edges of which project on each side two ribs B B, preferably, but not necessarily, arranged parallel to each other and at right angles to said web A and spaced so as to form between them a groove C on each side of web A, which groove may serve to receive the edges of a panel D or of other building elements above mentioned if used for such purpose. Each of these members A and B consists of triple layers of sheet metal, part of which. layers in one member constitute also part of the layers of the other members and by their engagement with such members serve to connect these members to each other. Thus, referring to Fig. L, web A consists of an inner layer or stiffening-piece a and of the outer layers a a and a a Ribs B consist of the inner parts 6 b, which are covered onrtheir outer side by layers 7) Z) and on their inner side by layers 5 I2 Layers a 64 which form part of the outer layers of web A near its edges, and layers 6 6 which form the outer layers of ribs B B, are constituted each in one integral piece E, shaped up accordingly. Layers a a, which form part of the outer layers of the middle portion of web A, and layers?) 6, which form the innerlayers of ribs B B, are also constituted each in one integral member F, which is U-shaped. These members E and F by engaging each other, parts 5 and b of the one enveloping parts 6" of the other, as shown in Fig. 3, hold the various elements of the structure to each other and form web A and ribs B B complete. After so assembled the various layers are closely compressed by rollers or other suitabledevices to render web A and ribs B B compact, producing finally a structure of great rigidity No rivets or other means are needed to complete the connection of the various parts of the same. When used to make up the framework, stiles, or muntins of a window, two of such structures, or one of them and another member, are required to pass each other, one of them being perforated, as shown at g, to permit such, Gr being the other member. It will be noted that by reason of the continuous width of member a the provision of such perforations does not materially weaken the structure.

Having described my invention, I claim as new 1. A building structure, consisting of a central web having projecting from each side of it and between the edges thereof, two spaced ribs, all of said members consisting of layers of sheet metal and held together by parts of the layers of one member engaging with and overlapping parts of the layers of the other member.

2. A building structure, consisting of acentral web having projecting from each side of it and between the edges thereof, two spaced ribs, said parts consisting of tripled layers of sheet metal.

3. A sheet-metal building structure, consisting of an inner stiffening member, U- shaped members on each side thereof projecting with their free edges outwardly there? from and outer connecting members, one on each side, engaging simultaneously one of the edges of the inner member and one of the I edges of each of the U-shaped members, all as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS LEE. Witnesses:

(J. SPENGEL, C. MEYER. 

